Uganda- take two!

Many of you probably already know the information I'm about to share, but for those of you who don't, I want to take time to let you know about the exciting upcoming journey in my life.

Six days from now, on Monday August 3rd, I will be leaving for a ten month trip to Uganda. Some of youmay be thinking, "Seriously, after all the strange and challenging circumstances you faced last time, you're going back?" That's right, and I'm excited! Several months ago I received an email from Heritage International School (HIS) asking if I would be interested in teaching math for them throughout the upcoming school year. Since coming back from Uganda last year, I have felt a growing passion in my heart to return, so I jumped at the opportunity to return for an entire year. I prayerfully considered the opportunity, and eventually felt that this was the direction the Lord was leading me, and I accepted the position. Since then, the Lord has clarified that this does in fact seem to be where He wants me. One way, in particular, is the incredible response I received from the support letters I sent out. I want to thank all of you who have been able to donate financially, and to those of you who will remember to pray for me on this journey. This trip simply would not be possible without the prayerful and financial support of all of you!!

HIS is a Christian school that teaches mostly missionary children along with local Ugandan children; however, I have heard many of the children who attend will not necessarily be Christian, but rather Muslim or another common world religion. I will be teaching 7-12 grade mathematics, and will be the math department, since I'll be the only math teacher at the school. I have been told I will teach a transitions course, Algebra I and II, and geometry, which may be a pretty heavy load for a first year teacher, but that's already down from the six courses they originally wanted me to teach. My students will be from all over the world, which will be exciting and challenging, I'm sure, as I have heard some of them may not speak the best English. I ask that you pray for my students and my ability to relate to them and understand them, as well as teach them effectively.

Since Heritage is a missionary school, they will not pay me a salary. I will receive a small monthly stipend, which they tell me will basically be enough to cover my housing bill. Because of that, I decided to go through World Gospel Mission (WGM) as a Volunteer In Action (VIA). It is more comforting to be going through an organization rather than completely on my own, and they have done a wonderful job of coordinating my plans so far. As I mentioned earlier, raising support was a critical part of the process, as I am not getting paid, and through WGM and all of your support, I am able to spend a year teaching without worrying about finances.

I am very excited about this opportunity and I know the Lord has great things in store for the upcoming year. I am nervous about teaching, but I imagine I would be just as nervous starting a new teaching job here as well. I'm sure I will share more specific requests later, but for now, I would greatly appreciate prayers for a smooth transition as I start this journey, for safety while traveling, and for the relationships I will develop once I arrive.

I will leave Indianapolis at 6:30pm on Monday and fly to Chicago where I will have a long layover, and then head to London, where I'll have a 10 hour layover (and hopefully will visit sites in the city, if I can figure the train/subway system out on my own), and finally, I'll fly to Uganda, where I will arrive at 7:45am on Wednesday morning (or 11:45pm Tuesday night here). Orientation at HIS starts Monday August 3rd, so I will be missing the first few days, but they assure me I will be fine. School starts the following Monday on August 10th, so it will be a quick transition, but I'm ready and excited.

Thank you again for all of your support and prayers. As I have mentioned in the past, my last experience in Uganda taught me so much about prayer and trust, and I know that without prayer, this journey would not be possible. Please continue to pray as it comes to mind. I have heard the internet connection is VERY slow at the school, but I will try to send updates now and then.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you!

12 days 'til Takeoff

I'm sitting in a Florida condo alongside a beautiful white sandy beach, where the sun is hot and the weather is humid. I just finished a morning run, and in a few minutes, my two sisters, brother-in-law, and I will head to the beach to relax all day. We'll read books, play football in the water, and try to all jump on one floating raft at the same time, usually with no success. Here, there's not a care in the world. We sit on the beach all day and the biggest concerns we have are whether we have enough sunscreen on and whether we're going to get stung by the hundreds of jelly fish we see in the water.

Twelve days from now, on Monday August 3rd, at 6:50PM, all of that will change. I'll be leaving Indianapolis, flying to Chicago, then to London, where I have a nine hour layover, and then finally flying to Uganda, where I'll arrive at 7:45am Wednesday morning. And with that, the next chapter of my life, the next incredible journey, will begin. I'm nervous, of course, but very excited, and I know the Lord is there before me, and will be with me all along the way.

We return home late Saturday evening, and then I'll have one week until I leave, and will continue to check items off the to-do list and eventually figure out how to pack a year of my life into two 50 lb suitcases, and then I will leave, and this new journey of life will begin full force. And I'm ready. Four separate lessons each day, none of which have been planned yet, moving to a new country, meeting new people, starting a new job....I'm ready. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Absolutely. Confident in the Lord's provision? I wouldn't be able to go if I wasn't. 12 days from now, everything changes, and I am ready.